2015 Hyundai Genesis Sedan

A proper luxury car, with an assist from Lotus.

ERIC TINGWALL

Apr 6, 2014

With either engine, the Genesis’s cabin is whisper quiet. Injector rattle and valve clatter are muted by a noise-blocking partition ahead of the firewall and a rubber gasket that seals the underside of the hood against the engine compartment. Wind, tire, and road noise are turned down to barely audible levels by ample insulation in the body structure.

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All models use a massaged version of the eight-speed automatic developed and manufactured by Hyundai for the previous Genesis. Here again, luxury prevails over sport. The transmission issues smooth and well-timed shifts, but it isn’t as snappy as the ZF-designed gold-standard eight-speeder (employed by Audi and BMW, among others) when it comes to double downshifts and full-throttle upshifts.

New Values, Same Old Value

Inside, the Genesis isn’t as high-tech as an Audi or as sleek as the latest Mercedes, but the Hyundai is much more resolved than its predecessor. The dashboard, instrument cluster, door panels, and center stack have a cohesive feel with upscale materials and straightforward ergonomics. Despite the strides in driving dynamics and style, Hyundai is still positioning the Genesis as a value play, with a five-figure discount over comparably equipped German sedans. Prices start at $38,950 for the six-cylinder car and $52,450 for the V-8. Standard equipment includes the equipment that we expect from a luxury car—and that BMW often charges extra for—such as proximity entry and start, satellite radio, navigation, rain-sensing wipers, and 12-way adjustable heated front seats. A new all-wheel-drive system is available as a $2500 option in V-6 cars. We expect an all-wheel-drive V-8 model to be offered later in the Genesis’ life cycle, perhaps as a way to get down the power on a performance model.

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Hyundai’s tidy product planning limits the Genesis to just 10 possible build configurations. The Signature package adds a panoramic sunroof, HID headlights, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, blind-spot monitoring, ventilated front seats, and a 14-speaker Lexicon stereo. The Tech package includes lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, front and rear parking assistance, fancier leather upholstery, and a 7.0-inch screen in the gauge cluster. The Ultimate package tops the range with a power trunklid, head-up display, dual-mode climate control, a 17-speaker Lexicon surround-sound system, and an upgraded 9.2-inch high-definition navigation screen, controlled by a knob or by touch. Eight-cylinder models come with Signature and Tech equipment as standard, while the Ultimate package is optional.

Once a Starting Point, Now a Turning Point

The 2015 Genesis is an indication that Hyundai has nearly completed its metamorphosis, which began with building disposable cars, continued with selling 10-year warranties, moved to marketing value, and now sees them mastering vehicle integration. It was the latter, a rare institutional skill, that made BMW so great in the 1990s and early 2000s. Hyundai’s ambitious scheme to launch a luxury car with a mainstream badge in 2009 could now serve as the turning point for an automaker that’s coming of age.

Yet it’s too early to declare the transformation complete. It’s not clear if the 2015 Hyundai Genesis is truly significant for the company or simply an anomaly. Both Lotus and Hyundai say they want to continue the partnership, but there is no official commitment for the development of the next Sonata sedan or even the Genesis coupe, where Lotus’s sports-car expertise is desperately needed. Even more important, though, is that to truly become a great automaker, Hyundai will eventually need to replicate what it’s achieved with the Genesis sedan with its own in-house engineering talent.